love me some breakfast stout! i think i might do one of those soon as well.

boil off rate is an easy calc, typically between 3-5 quarts/hour depending on how wide your pot is, for me I just use 4 quarts/hour. i also calc water loss of 1-2 quarts for mash tun and 1-2 quarts for brew kettle (for wort left at bottom of cooler & kettle)

9/24/2012 10:31:44 AM

http://hopville.com/recipe/1653329

barleywine made mostly of things i had laying around that needed to be used.

12 hours later was blowing a lot of krausen into the blow-off tube, in a 6 gallon carboy at ~68F. 5 gallons of wort, a couple of inches below the shoulder. rolllinnnnnnnn

10/8/2012 9:24:08 AM

haven't brewed in a long time, but i got off my ass today and brewed a basic stout just to get the rust off. OG was supposed to be 1.067, i hit 1.063 so just a little off. My interior closet has finally cooled down enough so it should ferment nicely at ~68. standard WLP001 cal-ale yeast.

10/14/2012 12:20:40 AM

welcome back!

that barleywine is still bubbling at about 3 bubbles / minute, 7+ days after fermentation started..

10/15/2012 10:28:48 AM

started tasting my doppelbock after 5 weeks of lagering, it's freakin' amazing!

pale ale is bottle-conditioning now.

started working on my next recipe, a peppermint chocolate stout for the holidays. thinking about using cocoa nibs instead of dutch chocolate.

10/15/2012 11:58:12 AM

Kegged 5 gallons of a Dubbel last night. I'll be out of town for the next two weeks, so it should be nice and carbed up by the time I get back in town to taste it.

Also fermenting 10 gallons of a Pale Ale I made recently. 18lb 2-row, 2lb White wheat, 1lb C60 for color.

Centennial@60
Cascade/Citra @30
Cascade/Citra @15
Cascade/Citra @1

Should be an interesting one. Wondering what the wheat will taste like.

[Edited on October 18, 2012 at 3:06 PM. Reason : .]

10/18/2012 3:02:21 PM

i hate how expensive brew kettles are. I just want a 10 gal so i can do full boils before moving into AG

10/18/2012 5:18:03 PM

Keggle.

10/18/2012 10:03:41 PM

I want to bust out my home brew kit. The past 3-4 times I've bought a kit from the brew store. Any recipes I can easily follow, or instructions that will show me how to make my own? My fav so far is a pumpkin spice I brewed like 2 years ago. I'd like to do the same but would like to make it myself instead of buying a spice kit and such.
I want to use my own spices at home. Like cinnamon, pumpkin this, nutmeg that...

Or should I just stick with a kit?

10/18/2012 11:08:23 PM

^I'm guessing you are an extract brewer. With a pumpkin, I would avoid a kit, so that way you can mix and match your own spices to get it to your liking. I usually go with nutmeg, cinnamon, and cloves. But I have heard of allspice, ginger, hell even cardamon. Go wild. That's what makes pumpkin ales so awesome. For the actual pumpkin, use canned pumpkin (Libby's is great) but make sure the only ingredient is pumpkin. I would toss all of that in near the end of the boil.

10/19/2012 12:02:00 AM

Quote :

"i hate how expensive brew kettles are. I just want a 10 gal so i can do full boils before moving into AG"

i have the equivalent of this:
http://morebeer.com/view_product/11854
http://www.homebrewing.org/2-Weld-9-Gallon-Stainless-Steel-Brew-Pot-_p_1684.html

got it from my local homebrew store, then just added the ball valve & thermometer, maybe $120 tops, and you can always plug the top hole if you want to add the thermometer later. best bang/buck for STAINLESS STEEL. 9-gallon has been perfect for full boils and can do 8-gallon boils enough for 10-gallon batches with 2-gallon water supplement if you choose.



[Edited on October 19, 2012 at 2:31 PM. Reason : .]

[Edited on October 19, 2012 at 2:33 PM. Reason : .]

10/19/2012 2:28:24 PM

If you dont want a keggle, hit up ebay for a cheap aluminum (yes, I know...) pot. They're ridiculously cheap on there.

10/19/2012 2:29:59 PM

in action:

10/19/2012 2:36:10 PM

i bought new pots after moving to southeast texas

stainless crawfish boil pots work pretty great

10/22/2012 9:57:29 AM

Quote :

"best bang/buck for STAINLESS STEEL."

if you only do single batches, that might be true

but i do nothing but double batches these days and using a converted keg that costs less than $100 (lose your deposit on a rental and pay someone to cut the top) is the way to go

the SS-vs-aluminum argument is bullshit, in any case...SS is prettier and nothing more (and so it only comes down to whether or not you want to spend more money)

10/22/2012 10:43:31 AM

Bobby Light, we posted back and forth a long time ago regarding the Brinkmann outdoor propane burner in this picture



is this still your main burner and is it still effectively heating your full boils in time or have you moved on to something more powerful?


well nevermind, looks like this model has gained some popularity on the HB forums and a lot of people are using it with great success on full boil 5-10 gal batches. that makes me feel better. hopefully my next batch will be a full boil.

10/22/2012 10:57:46 AM

i definitely need a more powerful burner...mine sucks

10/22/2012 11:05:26 AM

kegged up my breakfast stout last night, pressed an additional 12oz of kona coffee for an addition into the keg (2.5oz beans grinded, french press, chilled to room temp)

shit is delicious already. the yeast cake looked like chocolate cake batter. FG 1.024, so nice and sweet to balance the bitterness.


[Edited on October 23, 2012 at 11:45 AM. Reason : e]

10/23/2012 11:42:55 AM

my buddy wants to dry hop the stout we brewed last week. i'm a little wary. this beer looks like it's going to have a nice thick head on it and i know hop resins can kill that.


also, pellet hops. do you guys just toss them in for dry hopping or do you still use a bag?

10/24/2012 11:24:23 AM

Jeepin4x4,

I no longer use it simply because I switched to electric. But it performed great for me for bringing 12 gallons up to a boil.

I posted these a few pages back, but for those who havent seen it I suppose I'll post again. If anyone is interested in going electric, I built all of this completely on my own and am more than happy to help you piece together your system and/or help you build it.










[Edited on October 24, 2012 at 2:31 PM. Reason : .]

10/24/2012 2:30:01 PM

ah, yes. i forgot you went all electric.

10/24/2012 3:39:32 PM

After reading about the extreme beers (you know the one at 65% abv) I was wondering if anyone has done something in the 20% range. This is not something I would try at this stage since I'm still pretty new but just wanted to hear other's experiences getting beers into this range.

10/26/2012 11:14:28 PM

I've never made one myself, but have read up on it pretty extensively.

You need yeast. Lots of it. Literally, 4x as much as you would normally pitch for a normal batch. Make sure you make a yeast starter, rather than just pitching lots of smack packs, or packets of yeast. You want the yeast to be fresh and healthy as possible.

Also, you'll need lots of oxygen. One suggestion is to oxygenate intermittently for the first 5 days for 30seconds-1 minute each.

Another suggestion you can try is to start fermentation with a smaller amount of wort, and add a gallon of wort every day or so until you have your full amount in the fermenter.

The method you'll want to use will definitely depend on the yeast strain you're using as well. Most yeasts will crap out around the 11-12% mark. Then you can pitch another higher ABV tolerant yeast after that if you want. Or you can just start with craploads of the higher ABV yeast from the start.

[Edited on October 28, 2012 at 2:03 PM. Reason : .]

10/28/2012 1:45:18 PM

what's the standard, 3/8 or 1/2 for ball valves? looking into brew kettle for christmas.

11/29/2012 10:26:59 PM

1/2" is pretty much the standard.

11/30/2012 10:44:09 AM

thanks.

12/3/2012 11:06:18 AM

brewed a mint chocolate stout yesterday.

http://hopville.com/recipe/1664166

12/3/2012 11:37:57 AM

tapped a keg of my House Pale Ale recipe I've been working on. I think i've almost got it where I want it. This stuff is pretty good! I added a touch of pale wheat malt to it this last time, and dry hopped with 2oz fresh Cascade hops and 1oz Citra.

12/3/2012 9:24:52 PM

sounds delicious, good idea to add pale wheat for a nice contribution to the head of the beer, and of course dry hopping with citra is one of my favorite hops to dry-hop with!

12/3/2012 9:58:58 PM

bottled an IPA last thursday that i brewed a couple weeks ago. i used 4 oz nelson sauvin and 1 oz galaxy hops. galaxy might've been a bit pointless since it only made up 20% of the hop profile and probably got overshadowed. i'd highly recommend using nelson sauvin though. i got the idea from 2 IPAs i had in san diego that were outstanding. i think that hop produces a far nicer and more flavorful IPA than a majority of american hops that people use. and for whatever reason, no breweries on the east coast that i'm aware of are using it.

12/4/2012 9:19:09 AM

im contemplating trying berliners or sours.

someone bring me back into reality

12/4/2012 9:23:54 AM

my next beer actually might be an oud bruin

(takes a year though to finish)

[Edited on December 4, 2012 at 11:53 AM. Reason : .]

12/4/2012 11:53:08 AM

Posted earlier about my first Brett beer in the works - it's a gallon of peach saison with
Brett dregs added. The base beer tasted great. It's around months 5 now, starting to develop a pellicle and some definite Brett character. Was around 1.020 last I checked, so still some more time needed. Might feed it a single oak chip at some point. No reason not to experiment with the stuff - even if it's just pulling a gallon from another batch to play around with. I'm using a glass gallon jug that originally held apple juice.

A few things in the works now. Brewed a cabinet-cleaner rye pale a couple weeks ago that I might hit with some peppercorns - loosely inspired by Furthermore Knot Stock (they use a TON of pepper). Next weekend thinking a heavy porter for sure and maybe a dunkelweizen.

Rat Soup - do you shop for supplies at My LHBS? 3 Stars?

12/4/2012 5:41:06 PM

i go to my lhbs since i live in arlington. thinking about moving into DC by spring/summer, so i'll probably start going to 3 stars whenever that happens.

12/5/2012 10:56:38 AM

I'm in the same boat, but have stopped by 3 Stars a couple times when it's been convenient - love that you can weight out your own grains as needed there

12/5/2012 6:58:28 PM

that is pretty cool. i'm getting a barley crusher for christmas, so i'll probably be buying all my grain and everything else i need online for a while after that. i don't have a car, and i'm getting tired of having to take the bus or rent a zipcar for an hour to get to my lhbs. i'll probably get a bike some time this spring so it'll be a little easier getting to/from my lhbs after that. wilson blvd not having a bike lane kinda sucks though.

12/9/2012 9:34:06 PM

WOOT, finished my Irish Red Ale Deluxe kit from Northern Brewery this weekend. Super easy, although I do have a few things I'd do differently next time. I'd love to have a more accurate thermometer and a bigger/colder ice bath.

Hopefully in 5-6wks I'll report back that it turned out great!

12/10/2012 7:13:05 AM

^ if you think this is something you're gonna stick with for a while, i'd recommend getting a wort chiller. it'll take your wort down to pitching temperature in like 15 minutes, which beats the hell out of waiting for an ice bath to finish. might not be a bad christmas gift to ask for. you can also make one yourself pretty cheaply.

12/10/2012 9:50:30 PM

AB is offering beginner brewing classes again
http://www.americanbrewmaster.com/Homebrewing-101-Beginner-Brewing-Class

I took the class about a year ago and it was pretty great. You get to sample tons of beers. Also they've started Homebrew Humpday where you can have a tasting of your homebrew and people can buy bottles of it with the proceeds going to the charity of your choice.

12/19/2012 1:54:28 PM

Ended up brewing an Apfelwein back in September to hand out as presents for Christmas. Bottled in on Sunday and gave some out today and decided to crack out a test bottle. Much to my dismay (not shocked) that it had fully carb'd yet; its there just not ready yet.

As far as taste, it just tastes like wine to me w/ an apple nose. Its very drinkable, and could be bad news if you drank a few, but you would have to like wine. Just not quite what I was expecting.

12/22/2012 5:58:51 PM

Taking some of my chocolate stout / mint chocolate stout home with me, i bottled it on Sunday, hoping to taste it next weekend with the family while i'm home if it conditions in time.

12/22/2012 8:18:20 PM

Man that chocolate stout came out amazing.

Anyone entering this?
http://www.thebruery.com/batch1000/

1/15/2013 12:05:27 PM

Won 1st place (out of 11) for my Doppelbock and won 3rd (out of 18) for my Chocolate Stout in a local homebrew competition (300 entries).... that's 3 awards for 3 submissions thus far in the last 6 months, hoping this continues

Anyone else brewing for National AHA Competition?

Just brewed an Imperial IPA & Belgian Dubbel.

Has no one brewed since December?

[Edited on February 11, 2013 at 12:52 AM. Reason : .]

2/11/2013 12:50:25 AM

i really haven't. just haven't been in the mood. I should have this weekend because I had nothing but time on my hands. just never made it to the LHBS to get supplies.

2/11/2013 8:14:02 AM

I've brewed 20 gallons so far this year. 10 gallons of a hoppy brown ale, and 10 gallons of a pale ale inspired by Founders Dryhopped pale.

Also spent some time shining up the keggles a little bit. I didnt go for a mirror shine as that takes about 3-4 hours per keg, but I spent about 45 minutes on each one with rough Gator Grit, then a fine Gator Grit pad. I think they look much better.

My brewday a few days ago:

The system: (with my new keggle mashtun)


13 gallons of Pale ale coming to a boil


Left: 10 gallons of Pale ale pitched onto yeast cakes of 1028 leftover from my brown ale. Right: 5 gallons of my brown ale in secondary being dryhopped with 1.5oz of Belma hops.



[Edited on February 14, 2013 at 12:15 PM. Reason : .]

2/14/2013 12:02:59 PM

sweet, i like your setup.

i absolutely love indian brown ales (brown ipa, hoppy brown) it's one of my favorite recipes that i've brewed.

just botteld the imperial IPA & racked the belgian dubbel into secondary for 2-months at 50'F

planning stages for a 20-gallon brew day (2x 10-gallon batches) of a saison and hoppy red ale, brew date set for March 2

2/14/2013 1:07:18 PM

India brown is one of my favorites as well.

This particular recipe isnt too high IBU...It's mainly hoppy in aroma. But it's damn good. This last batch marked 30 gallons of it that i've brewed in the last 8 months. My neighbors/friends have helped me drink most of it, lol.

I also think i'll try another hoppy red ale as well soon. That was my very first attempt at all-grain brewing about 2 years ago...which turned out to be 10 gallons of disaster. Followed one of Jamil's recipes but I didnt know what the hell I was doing with all-grain haha.



Also, to follow up on my earlier post at the top of this page:

Quote :

"Also fermenting 10 gallons of a Pale Ale I made recently. 18lb 2-row, 2lb White wheat, 1lb C60 for color. Centennial@60 Cascade/Citra @30 Cascade/Citra @15 Cascade/Citra @1 Should be an interesting one. Wondering what the wheat will taste like. "

The Pale Ale was pretty delicious. We polished off 5 gallons on New Years Eve and we've finished the other 5 gallons in the last 4 weeks. The wheat definitely gave it some depth, and you cant go wrong with cascade/citra in a pale. It was a very solid pale ale that I'll be brewing again for sure.

[Edited on February 14, 2013 at 2:27 PM. Reason : .]

2/14/2013 2:21:38 PM

what were your hop amounts? or IBUs for that pale? sounds good, i presume the white wheat didn't cause clarity issues?

[Edited on February 14, 2013 at 2:43 PM. Reason : .]

2/14/2013 2:41:33 PM

I just recently got into homebrewing myself. My second batch was an imperial coffee stout. I used this recipe kit:

http://brewmasterstore.com/products.aspx?sku=LDC-1046&search=0

and then steeped half a pound of coarsely ground, dark roast coffee for 5 minutes after flame out. The next 24 hours were pretty interesting. We had to move it to the tub because it kept spewing foam and beer out through the air lock, and I had to completely remove the airlock for about 12 hours just to keep the thing from blowing out. It was slightly warm too, around 75 degrees for a while before we could finally get it to a stable temperature in the mid-60s.

The recipe says it should be around 8%, but the OG was slightly out of range on the low end at about 1.065. Any thoughts why the fermentation was so violent? It's still bottle conditioning, but as of now, all of the flavors seem to be intact and there aren't any sour/funky flavors, which I think is pretty lucky given how many opportunities there were for contamination during the first 24 hours of fermentation.

[Edited on February 14, 2013 at 3:28 PM. Reason : ]

2/14/2013 3:22:37 PM

fermentation can be aggressive with any high flocculating yeast (you can see on the yeast manf. website if a yeast is low, medium, or high flocculating, and typically i find any beer over 1.060 has a good potential for needing a blowoff tube instead of an airlock in the first 24 hours.

for example, i typically do something like this (not my picture, but similar)

2/14/2013 3:33:52 PM